211: Understanding a Very Delicate System: the Supply Chain
“A supply chain is a network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities, and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product. So ultimately, a supply chain is what brings this product to market.”
My guest in this episode is St. Claire L. Gerald, the VP of Supply Chain Operations for RTG Solutions Group, a consulting firm that helps business leaders improve their organization’s efficiencies. St. Claire is also an ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional and instructor for those individuals seeking to gain their supply chain certification credentials.
It’s unlikely that you’ve listened, watched, or read much news lately about inflation and empty shelves that hasn’t used the phrase “supply chain” — that network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities, and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product. To put that in concrete terms, if you pick up your smartphone, it may say “Apple,” but numerous organizations and functions had to work in concert to place that now-ubiquitous and seemingly essential tool in your hand:
> Raw material suppliers and the extraction of raw materials
> Components, usually from different companies: a circuit board containing the brains of the phone; an antenna; a display (LCD); a microphone; a speaker; a battery, and a camera
> Assembly
> Retail outlets
> and transportation throughout
When the supply chain works, it’s a beautiful thing. But as the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and given the complexity of most supply chains today, something can go awry at any point.
Interestingly though, while the typical supply chain is held together by underlying connected technologies, its effectiveness is dependent on something very different as we’ll find out in the episode.
“Right now, the overall system — the supply chain, companies, and supply chain managers — have to invest in resilience and agility.”
Referenced / Background articles / Relevant videos
Designing a Sustainable Supply Chain Based on the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet, & Profit - All Things Supply Chain by St. Claire Gerald
When Shipping Containers Sink in the Drink
The Hidden Fees Making Your Bananas, and Everything Else, Cost More
How the Supply Chain Broke, and Why It Won’t Be Fixed Anytime Soon
Corporate Climate Pledges Often Ignore a Key Component: Supply Chains
Connect with St. Claire
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